Southern Sky Time-lapse

This is the first time I've tried using the computer controlled setup to capture a star field time-lapse.  The 21 seconds of this video spans the 8 1/2 hours from 10:00pm, February 26, to 6:30am February 27, 2014.  I set the capture rate at one exposure per minute, with each exposure lasting 15 seconds at 500 ISO, an aperture of 3.5, and a focal length of 18mm.

Also, when shooting either lightning or the night sky, I prefer too set the camera's white balance to the "florescent light" setting.  This accentuates the blues and violets. While not very true to life as far as the color goes, I feel this helps lend a more dramatic appearance to the shots.

In post-processing of the stills, I bumped up the saturation to enhance the colors, and heightened the contrast to make the stars "pop out" a little better.  The twinkling effect is, I believe, a result of artifacts caused by the video render.

Last Year's Denton Airshow

The F-16 is said by some to be "an old airshow standby", and rightly so. Anyone who has been to an airshow in the last 30 years has most likely seen one fly. And while some may say "Seen one, seen 'em all.", I'd be willing to wager a case of Shiner that when an F-16 goes ripping passed at 600 knots, it will make even the most cynical person jump out of his skin.

As the first aircraft designed to make sustained 9g turns, and with a power to weight ratio greater than 1-1, the Fighting Falcon has been wowing not only it's pilots, but also aviation enthusiasts and the airshow going public alike, since it was introduced in August 1978. It's pilots call it the "Viper", and describe flying it as though they were "wearing" it.

With the recently completed 1000 ft. addition to the runway, bringing it's total length up to 7002 ft., the 2011 airshow was the first time ever for Denton to host F-16 Falcons. This was quite a treat for Denton residents, as finding an airshow that features airplanes that are fast, pointy, and have afterburners, usually means driving to Ft Worth or Dallas.

This year, Denton will be one of only 10 airshows to have a high performance jet make an aerial demonstration. One that not everyone has had the opportunity to see: An AV-8B Harrier II. Cool stuff!

Maybe I'll have a new camera by then. Maybe...

Back in Texas!! But,....

I'm still putting up pictures from north Idaho.

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And Wyoming...

Travel tip:

When selected for the full body scan, be sure to make witty remarks about your "equipment" and you will receive the full meal deal: the scan AND the pat down...

Post # 50

"Really? I've done fifty of these?" I just asked myself that. So, for my fiftieth article (of sorts) I'm presenting a special photo:
One I took way too long even to download from my trusty old Canon.

Seattle Panorama

This is a series of four pictures stitched together. I shot these back in September when Chanel and I went there for a getaway. One of these days I need to try stitching a hundred or so pictures together into a gigapixel photo. When I find the time and the subject...